~になる
to become
~になる expresses a change of state: something turns into the noun or な-adjective before it. It is made with the particle に plus the verb なる (“to become”).
It maps to English “to become” or “to turn into”. Note that になる is only for nouns and な-adjectives; い-adjectives use ~くなる instead (寒い → 寒くなる, “to get cold”).
1. Noun + になる
Use it when a person or thing becomes the noun: a new job, a new season, a new state.
兄は医者になった。
“My brother became a doctor.”
- 兄(あに)= older brother
- は = topic marker
- 医者(いしゃ)= doctor
- に = result-of-change marker
- なった = became
2. Na-adjective + になる
With a な-adjective, drop the な and attach になる directly.
この町は静かになりました。
“This town has become quiet.”
- この = this
- 町(まち)= town
- は = topic marker
- 静か(しずか)= quiet
- になりました = has become
How to form it
Noun / な-adjective + になる
- 医者(いしゃ)= doctor → 医者になる(いしゃになる)= to become a doctor
- 静か(しずか)= quiet → 静かになる(しずかになる)= to become quiet
- 春(はる)= spring → 春になる(はるになる)= spring comes
Key idea
に points at the result, and なる says the change happened on its own. The subject ends up in a new state without anyone being mentioned as the cause.
Other N5 grammar
Updated .